[Closed] Need advice on cutting fork steerer tube

if it an alloy steerer use a plumbers pipe cutter. I used it on a steel one as well 🙂

normal hacksaw
don't need to buy a guide, just wrap some insulation tape around
deffo dont need to spend £18 on a guide, prob get similar for fraction of price at a DIY shop

ive done it before with no guide. just a bit of masking tape, mark all the way round and then hacksaw.

doesnt need to be cock on, as theres nowt butting up to it. just as long as top of steerer is about 1/8th of an inch below stem then you be fine 🙂

I think that is pretty much it. I just marked a line, held it steaady and hacked away with a hacksaw. Not the straightest line, but it doesn't have to be, did the job nicely. Then jsut banged in the SFN with a srewdriver through teh centre hole and bob's your uncle. I am a complete dunce with this stuff also, so it really ain't too hard.

Only other advice:

Measure twice - cut once

Measure twice - cut once

Measure twice - cut once

Measure twice - cut once

Measure twice - cut once

🙂

Kev

yep - pipe cutter, cheap and effective

Measure twice, cut once 😉

I would tidy up the burrs with a file myself too, but hats about it.

Only ever used a pipe cutter myself. Can you still get steel steerers on after market forks?

Doesn't have to be dead straight remember - it doesn't but up against anything

Put the forks in the bike with all the spacers & stem etc
Mark it at the top of the stem & then cut it a few mill below that mark

I bought that saw guide after a few skewiff efforts and it's great. Any hacksaw will do the job but you'll need a file to smooth the cut end afterwards. Don't forget to measure twice either. ....

Edit. Far too slow, curse my one finger tpynig

I got my LBS to do it for naff all as they were fitting a headset as well.

Bit of paper wrapped around then taped in place, hacksaw and then smoothed with file is my preferred method.

Protection around your stanchions is a good idea having learnt that mistake the hard way 😳

plumbing pipe cutter..

or use a hacksaw, place a jubilee clip/hose clip around the steerer makes a good guide for a nice square cut

I just mark all the way round and cut with a hacksaw.

If you've a steady hand, some patience and a blade with a high tpi you won't get a wonky cut or need to file it down afterwards.

pipe cutters are awesome 🙂

Wow, thanks for all the quick responces guys 😀

Jamie, the LBS was going to do it when they fit the headset for me too but as its a new build and I'm not sure on the final height I thought I'd give it a go once I know.

The perfectionist in me is still thinking guide, but I will think about all your comments before I do start cutting.

I use a pipe cutter like this one!
Much neater and easier job than using a hacksaw. Got mine from a local hardware store for a few quid.
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Little tip, use a few extra headset spacers than you need. That way you can always play about with the height. Once the height feels right, do the final cut. (I keep one 10mm spacer on top of the stem).

As nuke says, make sure you don't get any of the metal sawdust/filings in the wiper seals of the forks.

I clamp the stem onto the steerer and slid 2 headset spacers down. Lining up where you want to cut with between the spacers. Cut with hacksaw with blade running between the 2 spacers. Clean level cut every-time and using bits you already have.

Pipe cutter for me too. Far easier than anything else.

Good shout on covering the seals and stantions, I may have missed that trick otherwise! 😀

I'll take a look at those plumbers pipe cutters, seem cheap for what they are?

>Protection around your stanchions is a good idea having learnt that mistake the hard way

Indeed - I was building up a frameset some years ago, the disk caliper (held on by one bolt) dropped off the bolt, swung down and chipped the stanchion 🙁

Danger Mouse - Member

Good shout on covering the seals and stantions, I may have missed that trick otherwise!

I'll take a look at those plumbers pipe cutters, seem cheap for what they are?

yep - just check it goes large enough - most go up to 30mm which is sufficient for standard steerers

you may have to file the edge a little as sometimes the resultant edge has a little lip. They usually come with a fole out bit for filing the inside of tubes, but not the outside